For the first time this NBA season, a regular-season game was played in Mexico, featuring the Washington Wizards and the Miami Heat, who have Jaime Jaquez Jr. as the only active Mexican-American player in the league.
As expected, most fans were rooting for the Heat, especially Jaquez Jr., who received warm ovations every time he made a play, making him feel at home.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Jaquez said in his post-game interview. “Everyone blew my expectations away. I can’t imagine this much love being shown to myself and my family. It was truly incredible, and I was happy to be able to see all the fans… I could feel the love, and it was very much reciprocated.”
The Heat earned their third win of the season, improving to a 3-2 record. While Jaquez was the star attraction for Mexican fans, it was Bam Adebayo who led the team to victory, posting season-high numbers with 32 points and 14 rebounds in just 31 minutes.
How many NBA games were played outside of the U.S?
The game between the Heat and Wizards marked the 80th NBA game played outside the United States. In total, 79 preseason games and 36 regular-season games have taken place outside the U.S. and Canada, where the Toronto Raptors play their home games.
Japan and Mexico have hosted the most NBA games abroad, with 12 each, followed by the United Kingdom with 9 games and France with 3.
Jaquez Jr. on representing Mexico or the U.S.
Ahead of the NBA’s special game in Mexico, Jaquez was asked if he had made a decision about which country he would represent if given the chance. The Heat player was open in his response.
“No, I have not,” Jaquez said. “You guys know me and my background. I was obviously born in California. My dad is full Mexican. His mother was an immigrant, immigrated to America. So I grew up in California. I grew up doing the USA Basketball camps. Then, obviously, I played for Mexico during the Pan American Games.”
“After that, I stepped away from national teams, understanding how that pressure could build and how the fans would react to going from USA to Mexico,” he continued. “So I kind of took a step away from that, trying to look at all opportunities and really just figure out what’s best for me.”